Markus Lupfer is a German fashion designer and founder of the eponymous company, based in London, United Kingdom.

Life and career

Lupfer was born in Kisslegg, a small town in Southern Germany. After attending the

University of Trier The University of Trier (german: Universität Trier), in the German city of Trier, was founded in 1473. Closed in 1798 by order of the then French administration in Trier, the university was re-established in 1970 after a hiatus of some 172 y ...

he moved to the UK to study

fashion design Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and plac ...

at London's

University of Westminster , mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength , type = Public , established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster , endowment = £5.1 million ...

. Notable alumni include well-known designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Burberry's former chief executive officer Christopher Bailey. After graduating from Westminster in 1997 with a first-class honors degree, his final year collection was bought by Koh Samui, a London-based boutique, and sold out within two weeks. In 1999, Lupfer made his prêt-à-porter debut at the

London Fashion Week London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London twice a year, in February and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fashion wee ...

. Lupfer is known for his unique statement knitwear designs and sequined lip-motif appliqués. Vogue.com's Chief Fashion Critic Sarah Mower describes his approach to sequined embroidery as “very clever in making his sequined sweaters an item with a bit of a cult following that draws followers from a really surprisingly broad customer base. They strike such a great balance between easy and dressed-up and witty and smart – pieces to make people from teenagers to grown-ups smile and feel good in it almost anywhere“.

Brand

Lupfer is sold in many high-end retailers worldwide including Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Net-A-Porter, IT Hong Kong, Le Bon Marche Paris, Isetan, Hanwha Galleria, Shopbop, and Tsum. The brand launched an ecommerce store in 2014.

Awards

Lupfer won his first award in 2001, the British Fashion Council's New Generation Award, shortly after leaving university. In 2008, Lupfer received the Best Designer of the Year-Award at the Prix de la Mode Awards in Spain and two years later, in 2010, became the International Designer of the Year at the

Scottish Fashion Awards The Scottish Fashion Awards was an annual awards ceremony honouring Scottish designers, photographers, models and fashion industry leaders. Founded in 2006, the event organiser was Tessa Hartmann, owner of a Scottish-based PR firm to promote her ...

Notable Clients

Lupfer's designs have been worn by celebrities such as Rihanna, Madonna, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Olivia Palermo, Ellie Bamber, Maisie Williams, Cara Delevingne, Elle Macpherson, Salma Hayek and Claudia Schiffer. In addition, the Duchess of Cambridge has worn the brand during her Royal Tour to Germany in 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lupfer, Markus Living people Year of birth missing (living people) German fashion designers Alumni of the University of Westminster German expatriates in England University of Trier alumni